


Concourse L

by ThePandoricaWillOpen



Series: Alternative Lives, Infinite Possibilities [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Airport AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee Shop Employee Bucky, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Minor Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, Starkbucks AU, TSA Employee Steve
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 04:32:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13139124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePandoricaWillOpen/pseuds/ThePandoricaWillOpen
Summary: TSA Steve Rogers meets Bucky, a barista at StarkBucks, on his first night shift. Steve can't help but go back every chance he gets to see the man with the brilliant smile and amazing eyes. StarkBucks AU.





	Concourse L

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #8: Steve is a barista working at the airport and Bucky is the cute TSA agent who always orders a complicated drink only Steve gets right. Starkbucks!AU
> 
> It's been a while since I've written anything (over a year!) so please excuse any errors. I will fix them before posting up chapter 2. Enjoy.

It was going to take a while to adjust to a nightly shift at the airport. Going from being constantly on alert while hundreds, if not thousands, of people got their tickets scanned, passed through the metal detectors, and fought you on the contents of their luggage to the quiet lull of sleepy passengers, closing food court employees, and lost children who wandered away from their sleeping parents, was not going to be an easy change. Steve loved the hustle of standing by the metal detector and body scanner, watching to make sure nothing made it past the security checkpoint that could potentially put anyone in danger. He hated the confrontations but there weren’t many of those when he was in charge of gate 8A. Sam, a fellow TSA, once told him that it was the disappointed look that Steve gave passengers whenever they tried to make a fuss. 

“It’s like getting scolded by your Granddad,” Sam said. “A six foot tall, two-hundred and some pound of muscled Granddad but still.”

He was about to hit the two year mark, working his way through the ranks, and not once had a passenger gotten aggressive with him. Until someone did. And now he was stuck on night duty until his superior felt that he could be trusted again. The jerkwad deserved what he got, Steve had been in the right requesting that the man removed his jacket when something in it flashed on his screen. How was he supposed to know that the man was Senator Pierce? All Steve had done was his job, if the computer said something was in the man’s pocket, then he had to investigate but the senator had not seen it like that even after Steve apologized. It had only been a fancy pen worth more than Steve’s entire salary for the entire year, or so the senator had told him after Steve looked in his pocket. 

The senator was a jerkwad and it was only proven the next day when Steve was called into Fury’s office. Sam had backed his version of events up, as had everyone else who had been working, but Fury still had to do something so that Pierce’s assistant, Rumlow, would get off his back. 

So, really, Steve wasn’t too concerned with getting his shifts changed from his regular to what everyone called ‘the Netflix’ shift. His station changed from watching gate 8A to gate L2A in concourse L only meant that he was guarding one of the exits right off a dozen shops and cafes instead of the busy security checkpoint.

It’d been awhile since he was last in this side of the airport so before his first shift, he walked around to familiarize himself with the layout. A few feet away from his new station, there was a StarkBucks, it’s store sign ridiculously red and gold shinning the path to the rest of the hall. From there there was a bar with prices as high as Steve’s hourly wage. Next to that was the first of a dozen Starbucks, each within a few store fronts of each other, and then a convenience store. 

By the time Steve memorised where everything was, including the locations of water fountains and washrooms, it was time for his first 8pm-6am shift. He stopped by the StarkBucks, since it was closer to his station, and ordered a large Americano and a large plain black coffee for his new partner, Clint Barton.

“If you bring back the receipt, you get one free refill,” the barista told him as she handed him his order. “We’re opened for another two hours.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Steve replied with a smile. “I’ll definitely be back before then. Thanks again.”

“I’ll be here,” she returned with a smile of her own before turning away to attend to another customer. 

Steve grabbed a few packets of sugar and some napkins from the counter and headed back to his station. Clint was already sitting down behind his desk when Steve approached with coffee in hand. Immediately Clint turned, his eyes going wide, as if he smelled the coffee coming towards him. He looked up at Steve, silently asking if that was for him. Steve nodded, handing him the cup, the sugar packets, and the napkins just in case. 

Steve swiped his badge over the scanner by Clint’s desk, then placed his thumb on the fingerprint scanner, watching as Clint confirmed his identity on the computer which clocked him in. He thanked the other agent, taking a sip of his Americano, and settled in his seat. It wasn't the most comfortable seat in the world but it sure did beat having to stand for ten hours straight. 

“This is gonna be great!” Clint exclaimed from the other side of the hall, a few feet away from Steve. He took a sip of his coffee and immediately cringe as the hot liquid burned his tongue. Steve rolled his eyes and waited… “Aw, coffee, no.”

_ This is going to be a long night,  _ he thought as he watched Clint try to take the lid off his coffee while trying not to spill it on the expensive computer on his desk.  _ A very long night. _

* * *

Bucky’s having a bad day. Scratch that - he’s having a terrible day and it was almost over so thank the fucking lord. He’s never working an open to close shift ever again or, rather, he’s never betting against Darcy ever again. That woman was too smart to be working at a minimum wage job, her skills of deduction were so on point that Bucky wanted to call her Miss Marple if not for the fact that Darcy might kick his ass. How the hell did she know what almost every night shift TSA agent’s order was? Granted she was going on her one year anniversary soon but still, how did she know them all by heart? It’s incredible and Bucky is both amazed and a little scared of Darcy now.

The only other person who even came close to having both Bucky’s admiration and fear is Natasha, their boss. She was one badass woman who took no ones shit, especially not any customers when they tried to play games with the cashiers. Natasha told Bucky during his orientation that, no matter how much money they make or lose, she would always have her employees back. Of course that came with stipulations like not messing with the expensive machines and a few selected ones from the employee handbook. 

She was the best manager Bucky ever had in any job - minimum wage or not. If there were leftover pastries or sandwiches at night, she would let the night crew take them home. If they wanted to take some coffee beans home, she would let them as long as there was extra or if she “accidentally” ordered too much. If they wanted to make their own drinks and keep them in the back, she not only let them make their own concoctions but she encouraged experimentation. 

“You never know when your drink could be the next Stark hit,” she said at orientation. So far only one employee made drink had been the ‘next Stark hit’ and that honor went to Kate Bishop who made a cafe glace with raspberry syrup and chocolate shavings. It was a sugary drink but also very popular with the customers during the summer when not even the AC could keep the hot air out of the airport and it was a perfect blend of espresso and ice cream that no coffee lover with a sweet tooth could resist. Kate was a genius. 

All-in-all, Bucky liked working at StarkBucks, even when the occasional customer was an ass and snickered at the obviously un-original name before going a few shops down to Starbucks. 

Today marked his sixth month working for the company and he’d gotten a gift from Natasha that was sitting in his locker in the backroom waiting to be opened when he gets home. Natasha told him not to open in while at work, it was his surprise not everyone else's, so that was yet another reason why he is  _ so fucking ready _ to go home. 

But then another plane landed and a butt load of people made their way down the hall, hungry and annoyed and a hundred other emotions Bucky probably would never feel because fucking hell are ticket prices expensive. He watched as people started to mingle by the register, their eyes on either the menu board or on the food case. He took steady breaths to calm himself as he washed his hands with his back to the waiting customers, mentally readying himself for the rush that was about to happen.

“Hey, Kate? Can you jump on bar for me? We’ve got incoming,” Bucky called out towards the back room where Kate is cleaning some of their pitchers and utensils.

“Coming!” Kate called back as Bucky dried his hands. She walked back to the front of the cafe, eyeing the line forming and giving Bucky a thumbs up before standing by the expensive machines and starting her usual routine to get things set. Meanwhile, Bucky made his way to the register, putting on his best smile.

“Hello, how are you today?”

* * *

An hour into his shift, Steve was out of coffee and out of patience. A plane arrived at eight thirty and, after a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, it’s Steve’s job to stop those trying to sneak back in after leaving the gate. He caught three teens who, figuring they could just come back up after going to the less crowded Starbucks by baggage claim, came up the stairs. Steve stopped them, rolling his eyes when they walked up the stairs that were clearly labeled DO NOT ENTER THIS IS NOT AN ENTRANCE. He watched them, hoping that they’ll see one of the many signs posted along the stairs, escalators and walls before they make it by his desk but it’s not that kind of night.

He spends nearly ten minutes talking with them, trying to make them understand that no, it doesn’t matter that their stuff is on the other side of the threshold and no, they don’t have their boarding passes so they can’t go back into the airport without going through the security point again which required boarding passes as well. It took all of his patience to tell them that they can’t come in no matter how much they threaten to call their lawyers. By the time Steve convinced them to go back down and go through the security checkpoint again, he was just about ready to go home. He radioed Sam who was on shift at the checkpoint, and apologized for the shitstorm he was about to get before taking his seat behind his desk. Clint shook his head after being so unhelpful during the entire ordeal, sipping on his coffee, and laughed when the teens were out of earshot and Steve’s back at his uncomfortable chair.

“We’re gonna need more coffee,” Steve announced as the passengers disappear down the stairs. “And some food.”

“Yes, yes we are,” Clint agreed with a chuckle. “Rock-paper-scissors you for it?”

Steve shook his head. “It’s okay. My treat. As long as you get the next pair of lost idiots.”

Clint snorted, shaking his head with a look toward the stairs leading from their desks. He smiled at Steve and asked, “You’ve never done night shift, have you?”

“It’s been a blast so far,” Steve replied dryly. “I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

Leaving Clint to his own devices, he walked a short distance to the StarkBucks, standing in line behind a few passengers and their luggage. Steve looked at the menu, squinting at the comic sans font, and wished that for once he’d carry his glasses around his neck like an old person. But no, he left them back at his desk and it was too late to get out of line, two other people were standing behind him and he wasn’t about to leave just to come right back. Squinting, he looked at the menu, deciding on just ordering the same drinks from earlier - an americano and a black coffee - but in the largest size possible.

As another customer was taken care of, Steve moved up the line and reached the food display. He leaned forward seeing the macarons in different flavours, the sandwiches artfully placed in the middle shelf and the yogurts and salads lining the cooler shelves. He grabbed a strawberry and chia parfait and an arugula salad for himself and then leaned a bit more to read the little cards in front of the sandwiches - or paninis, as the cards read. He picked out one that didn't have any greens and had the most meats for Clint, moving up the line.

With the name of the panini in mind, he looked at the register, his eyes looking over the counter at the man who was both taking orders and making them. He had shoulder length brown hair, tucks behind his ear. A strand of hair got loose as he leaned down to get some milk from the fridge and poured it in pitcher with practiced ease. He didn't seem to need to measure the amount, he just poured, put the gallon of milk back in the fridge, and then placed the pitcher under the steam wand. Steve watched him, saw him push buttons on the machine to make the espresso pour into the cup while the milk froths. 

The man’s strong arms flex as he held the pitcher while reaching for the syrup he seemed to have forgotten to add before the espresso started pouring. He winced when his arms weren't long enough to reach the syrup bottle and looked to the pitcher. He shut it off, pulling it out from under the wand and wiping it with a rag. Steve saw the way his shoulders moved, the way he talked to himself when he pumped the syrup into the cup and then poured the milk into it. There was a fluidity to his movements, a graceful dance between the barista and his equipment. He didn't have to look to find items, he just reached out and took them. It was an amazing display to Steve who could barely make scrambled eggs.

By the time the barista put a lid on the cup and handed it off to the customer, Steve had forgotten what he was going to order. When the man turned, his eyes briefly meeting Steve's, all he can think about is how much he wished he’d brought his sketchpad with him. It was the way he moved that captivated him, and it didn't help that the barista was handsome as well. 

As the man took another order, Steve looked towards Clint where the TSA is sitting and throwing a stress ball in the air and catching it absently. He looked at his watch, StarkBucks closed in a little under an hour so, he had time before they closed to come back and get enough caffeine to last them for the rest of them shift. Maybe he could buy a ‘box-o-Stark’ which, according to the menu board, had enough coffee for sixteen cups. He is startled out of his thoughts w hen the barista from before leaned over the food display and smiled at him.

“Hey, stranger, you came back,” she said with a wide smile. “Did you bring your receipt like I told you?”

Steve pulled out the paper from his shirt pocket and said, “I promised I would come back with it. Never one to disappoint.”

“Well, that’s what I like to hear. So, what will it be… Rogers?”

“Steve, call me Steve,” he corrected with a smile. “I’m actually getting a few things.”

“Tell me the food first and I’ll heat up anything that needs to be warmed up while making your drinks,” she instructed. “Bucky will ring you out once he’s done.”

Steve told her his order, ordering more than he’d originally intended so it would last the rest of the night. She worked quickly, pulling the paninis out of the display fridge with tongs, placing them on a rack and putting it into a small oven. By the time the man - Bucky - had finished with the customer in front of Steve, the barista had all the food warmed up and was packing it all into a bag while the espresso poured into a cup for Steve’s americano. It’s actually quite amazing, definitely worth a large tip. He wondered if every barista was so graceful or if he had just never paid enough attention before.

“Welcome to StarkBucks,” Bucky said with a wide smile when Steve reached the register. “Kate took care of you, right? Let’s see. One large americano, large black coffee, four paninis, one parfait, one salad, three chocolate chip cookies, three muffins and one vegan brownie. Anything else?”

“No, that’s - that’s all.”

“You feedin’ a small army or something?” Bucky asked, reaching to the parfait and salad to place them inside the bag along with the rest of the food. He looked at Steve as if he'd just realised he was TSA and asked, “Who’s your partner?”

“Barton,” Steve replied. “Overnight shift.”

“That’s brutal.” Bucky looked down at his register and suddenly the total displayed went down by a few dollars. Steve blinked and was about to ask when Bucky added, “You get an employee discount since you work for the airport plus I added a coupon code.”

Steve smiled at him. “Thanks, I really appreciate that.” He handed him the total, shoving a $10 into the tip jar and then the change that Bucky handed him back as well. He took the bag of food in one hand and held up the cup holder in the other. “Thank you again, Buck.”

“No problem,” Bucky replied with a smile that made his eyes wrinkle at the sides. “Tell Barton he still owes me five bucks.”

* * *

Ten minutes later the crowd had thinned out and the line disappeared. Only a few stragglers were left, probably ones that didn’t want to wait in line for Starbucks. By nine twenty, there was no one in sight and Bucky had already started to close down shop. Kate was now in the back with Natasha going over inventory, Natasha having been in their storage area for the last few hours. She hated going down to the creepy part of the airport, a place Bucky wasn’t allowed in because he didn’t have the right color security badge, and she hated how much food was stockpiled there. She would be teaching Kate how to do the storage inventory tomorrow, but for today the two managers were in the back room tearing up the place counting everything from containers of coffee to boxes of straws. Bucky  _ so _ did not envy their job.

All of that meant that it was up to Bucky to close down the cafe at least until they were done, which Natasha assured him would be around nine forty-five or so. It’s not a lot of work, if he was allowed to get it all done with minimal interruptions. That rarely happened, however, as customers always appeared out of nowhere whenever Bucky turned his back. When one customer appeared that usually meant more would magically line up and he’d have to explain either what the difference between Starbucks and StarkBucks was or give them directions to some area in the airport. A small amount of those customers might actually order something and, by the time Bucky’s thinned out the line, an hour has passed and he still had got a million things left to do before closing. He really wished they would get another night person or something. There’s no way that Darcy could get everything done and have the whole place shining in the morning, it must be witchcraft or something. 

Nevertheless, Bucky  made a mental list of everything that needed to be done and got down to it, humming to the pop song playing through the speakers and hoping that no more customers would appear for the next twenty minutes.

**Author's Note:**

> Help a broke college student out: [Buy Me a Coffee](https://ko-fi.com/A8852LW1)
> 
> Leave me a comment?


End file.
